The Glass Tranquility Rose
by Jonouchi Katsuya
Summary: Crushshipping. Serenity is the new girl at school. First person POV.


I got out of the truck and looked around the big cityscape. Although I hadn't traveled too far from my home, only just out of town in Federal Way, it felt like a totally different world being in Domino. On the way here I noticed that the closer we got to Domino the more expensive everything got. Those prices at Starbucks didn't seem half bad now. Only a dollar more instead of twice the price of a normal coffee stand. My brother, Joey, had driven me here. On the way he talked about what dad was like. Told me about how dad has gotten better than he was when mom and dad split up, not that I would remember. He described him like a hero fighting the villains known as alcohol and gambling. Mom never talked about dad really. When I asked why they split up she said they just had their differences and buttoned up. Wouldn't talk beyond that.

"This is home!" Joey said excitedly. I looked up at the apartment. It looked old and worn in comparison with the buildings I saw on the way. "It isn't as bad as it looks. Trust me. I think you are going to like it here Serenity."

I nodded. I trusted my big brother but I had some reservations about how great the apartment itself was. Didn't want to get my hopes up. Joey grabbed my suitcase out of the back of the van and we walked up the two flights of stairs to reach the floor the apartment was on. I was scared to see my dad for the first time in years. In the forefront of my mind, I wondered if he was going to be as great as Joey had described him. Joey opened the door. The walls were torn with wall rot, probably against the city code, but the apartment itself seemed surprisingly clean for home of two men. I smiled weakly.

"What do you think?" Joey asked, setting my suitcase on the floor.

"It's nice," I generously complimented.

Joey beckoned to me. "This is your room. Umm... you can put your stuff in here and get settled I guess. We could only afford a futon. Things are pretty expensive here. "

"When will dad be home?"

"Oh he will be here in an hour. Unless he got overtime. But I doubt he would... After all you are here!"

I smiled. "OK..." It came out sadder sounding than I thought it did.

"Are you OK? I am sorry if this place isn't as big as you expected. "

"No it is fine! There are only two rooms though.

"Yeah I gave up my room. But I can deal sleeping in the living room. " Joey smiled.

"I'm grateful, Joey."

.

Dad didn't come home at a time I was awake at least. I wondered if I made the right choice by not arguing about moving here. It was quite and cold that first night. The heat wasn't working. I tossed and turned under my blankets until at least one am.

In the morning, I was awoken by a car horn rather than my alarm clock. It was only 10 minutes early so I got dressed in what seemed to be my friend's strange home rather than my own. I wondered how long I would have to live in this place it would feel like home. Just as I was about to disable my alarm clock, it went off with the most annoying noise. I shut it off. I looked at myself in the sliding closet mirror as I brushed my long reddish brown hair. The uniform was pink and blue. Pink is my favorite color, but the uniform made me look fatter than I was. Pleats like this just don't do me justice. The top on the other hand made me look flatter than I was. It made me look like a pear shaped person. I smiled and tried to tell myself I was cute enough to go out in public like this. Everyone else is wearing the same thing at school after all.

When I walked out of my room my brother Joey had already made me breakfast. "Wow. You look great!" Joey said obviously trying to flatter me too much.

"Yeah right Joey. You don't have to lie. I know I look like a cow."

"Don't say that! You really do look nice, Serenity."

"Alright. Where's dad?"

"He left for work already. "

I sighed. I really wanted to meet him. "After school?"

"Man's gotta put food on the table. Least that is what he tells me. Don't worry, Dad is doing what is best for us."

I wasn't so sure about that. Mom would have been here for me. But she wasn't here now.

A knock at the door. It was a boy about my brother's age. He was tall with short brown hair. He was pretty attractive, in a dorky older brother's friend way. "We going to school or what Joe?"

"Haha, sorry if I was making you wait! Ya see, my sister-"

"Your sister?" He looked over at me and blushed. "Wow she she has grown up a whole lot from what I remembered. Do you remember me?"

"Of course I do. How could I forget a voice?" I said, remembering just who he was. I was happy we were all walking to school together.

.

I was pretty nervous being in class with people who were a year older than me, my brother's age, and for my first class, but it was better than being bored to tears with stuff I already knew. That was a given. I wondered if the other students would notice that I was not exactly one of them. I took my seat in the back of the class, pulled out my books and hoped to be ignored. Fade into the wall I was next to. I thought about Tristan a bit. I wondered if I would see him in any of my classes. But I knew it was unlikely and he was probably as underachieving academically speaking as my brother. Probably a nice boy.

"We have a new student in class," the teacher began. The class roared with confusion and excitement. I blushed with shame. My flawless strategy hadn't worked. "Stand up, Serenity, don't be embarrassed." Timidly, I stood up. I hoped my long hair would hide my face. Nervously, I bit my lip. I gave a weak wave and sat back down. The teacher started the lecture. Once I felt like the attention was off of me, I looked around the room. There was a boy eying me like I was some kind of steak. He was attractive. I could see his eyes were green from across the room. His long silky black hair could have attracted just about any girl. I wondered why he was staring at me. No way could I be attractive in this uniform. It is probably just to be friendly because I am a new student, I told myself. Or maybe I have something wrong with my hair. I touched my hair to pat it down.

Quickly, I focused myself on the assignment at hand. Playing catch up at a new school was something I have had to do often in life. It wasn't what people who didn't know me would probably think it was. I didn't move around a whole lot. When I was little, I developed a problem with my eyes. Slowly, the disease ate away at my vision. I spent months in the hospital. But I was still diligent on my studies. Tristan would read me a lot of my assigned reading for me. He was a real friend when it counted. My older brother managed to raise the funds necessary to help fix my eyesight but they aren't perfect so I wear contacts.

So engrossed in my work, I was startled when the bell rang. Fervently, I packed my things, careful to leave out the in class assignment to turn in. My book fumbled out of my hands I was in such a hurry. A boy with blond frosted tips picked my book up for me as if I couldn't have picked it up myself and handed it to me. "You dropped your book." He smiled a dopey smile.

"Thanks," I deadpanned. I zipped up my bag, put one strap over my shoulder, and dropped off my assignment in the drop bin. My next class was on the other end of the school. I hoped I would find the exact room before the bell rang. The boy with the blond frosted tips wouldn't stop following me. His name is Mark apparently. By the time lunch rolled around after third period, (which I also sadly shared with him), I felt like I knew his life story. And I didn't exactly ask for it either.

"So can we sit together? You can sit with me and my friends." Mark offered.

"I... I already have people to sit with sorry."

"Oh, I see. Well, I'll see you later." With that he walked over to large group of friends.

I looked around trying to see if I could find my brother or his friends. My foot turned inward with shyness. The thought of having to talk to new people was scary. Not that I wasn't capable but-

"Hey Serenity!" It was Tristan. I would know that voice anywhere.

Without turning around I said "Tristan! You found me."

Just behind him was that mysterious boy from my English class. He was staring at me. My eyes narrowed in on his green eyes. They seemed to look right through me. A chill was sent down my spine. I couldn't help it.

"Are you alright Serenity?" Tristan asked.

I bit my lip. "Ug. Yeah yeah. I'm fine. Where are you sitting?"

"Over here with Yugi and Tea."

I followed Tristan and sat down at the table. I remembered Yugi from when I was in the hospital. He came there with my brother once like Tristan. They were both so nice to me.

"Hi Serenity! Hey Tea, this is Joey's sister, Serenity," Yugi said.

Shyly, I waved. Sometimes I wished I wasn't so shy about meeting new people. Not like I hadn't met so many in the hospital who were always telling me, do this, do that but, at school, it was different. I wasn't used to looking at people this way and having people judge by what they see in me as well. It had been a while since I was "fixed up" and I was still getting used to it.

I picked up my lunch pizza. The cheese, I was convinced was made of rubber rather than real cheese. I took a bite anyway despite all of it's grease, it wasn't that bad. Better than hospital food, that was for sure. "Mm."

Tea laughed. "I never thought someone would enjoy school food so much. You really are your brother's sister."

Abruptly, I stopped eating only to realize that I only had one bite of my pizza left. Yugi and Tristan laughed with her. "Oh guys can it!" I exclaimed."I am not that bad!"

"Nah. You aren't. You are far cuter," Tristan said. His tone was... flirty. I didn't know what to think and I blushed.

They all started talking about times when my brother ate way too much on their dime and how he tried to pay them back. And then, that boy. He was still staring at me. Why? He was twirling his hair. His eyes went off me and on to the beautiful girls that were flocking all around him. Beautifully pale skin and perfect hair. Why were all those girls around him?

"Oh... I see you are looking at Duke Devlin and the cheerleaders. Such elitists," Tea groaned.

"I... I wasn't looking. But you know them?" I lied. How was I not supposed to look at him. His whole posture spoke loud and clear to me. He wanted me. He, a powerful lion and I his utterly willing prey.

"Seriously, avoid him. He's gross," Tea said chewing on a french fry half out of her mouth.

With that, I got up, taking my tray to the trash can. It wasn't that I didn't like Tea. Tea was actually a pretty cool person. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind. At the same time, I couldn't help but think she was wrong about Duke. I set my tray in on the designated spot on top of the trash can. At first I wasn't sure what I was doing but, when I was standing right in front of him and words came out, my brain started to catch up with the rushing feeling.

"Pictures last longer," I said.

"Same to you." Duke smirked. He cocked an eyebrow. I felt the butterflies in my stomach. His skin was so pale and perfect. His eyes were more elegant and wild up close. Suddenly, I was pulled away. It was Tristan.

As he hurriedly walked me away from Duke, he spoke wildly. "Serenity, seriously that dude is nothing but trouble!"

I felt so offended. Viciously I yanked my hand out of his. "Excuse me Tristan. I can make my own choices! If I want to say hi to that guy I can." I felt a tear fall from my cheek. I didn't know why I got so worked up. My whole body was shaking. I looked up into Tristan's deep soulful brown eyes. He was only trying to protect me but he had to know this was wrong. Treating me like I was some porcelain princess after all I have gone through was a bad habit of his. Though there were times it was nice to be treated like a lady, this time it was just offensive. "I-I'm sorry Tristan. I over reacted. But I mean it... I can make my own choices."

.

At home, I laid down on my small futon just exhausted. I got piles of homework. So much I had to catch up on. At the same time I just couldn't stop thinking about that boy, Duke. He was so... I don't even really know how to describe him but he fascinated me in a way that no other person could understand. Most of all Tristan. OK, so Duke had all the cheerleaders eating out of the palm of his hand but, I was pretty sure there was a reason for that. His complete animal magnetism for one. He would definitely be good to, well just the thought of it makes me so red in the face but damn that guy is sexy.

Outside my room I heard a door slam. The sound of a man talking to my brother. _Could this be my father?_ My entire body felt suddenly light then heavy. When I got up I couldn't see for a moment and I nearly freaked out. Dehydrated. All my fluids. Everything made me float to my feet and feel weak like I couldn't stand but there I suddenly stood. I was at the door, my hand on the door knob. I didn't want to open it. What if I didn't like what I was going to see? The options weighed heavy on my mind.

**A/N: So this is where I decided to end it. It really should be a multichapter I know. But yeah this is what I thought of for the pairing Crushshipping. I really hope you guys like this enough to review and tell me what you think. I might continue this. I don't really write first person often. I hope I did well. **


End file.
